johnporcaro: mktg@large

He's the Dad: Paul Banas from GreatDad.com

 
I had the chance to meet Paul at M3.  He seems like the perfect person to be the driving force behind GreatDad.com, being an intelligent, interactive and caring Dad himself. And he always has some great tips himself, from picking up your Lego Advent Calendar early (on my list) to how Moms can get new Dads more involved. 

If you're not familiar with GreatDad.com, check it out.  It's full of great resources, articles, and interesting insight on being a Dad, whether it's for new Dads, Dads of teens, or anywhere inbetween, you'll find something that'll help you be a great dad yourself. 

From Paul's bio:

As a new dad, Paul became very aware that many dads today are more involved in parenting but have limited resources from a man’s point of view from which to better understand the challenges of their changing role. Thus, GreatDad.com was born. “While nothing can imitate or replace the special mother/child bond, dads develop incredible relationships with their children, and it is vitally important that they have a place to discuss the parenting process from a male perspective. Data indicates that fathers today are more involved in family life versus a generation ago, due to factors including post-911 security fears, loss of life long career job security, and increased demands on working moms and dual career families. GreatDad.com enables all dads-working, stay-at-home, single, gay, domestic partners, and more-to find ways to be involved and understand how dads are functioning as parents today.

Paul is a native of Minnesota and has B.A. from University of Minnesota, M.A. from Middlebury College, and MBA from the Thunderbird School of International Management. A published author of fictional short stories, he resides in San Francisco with his wife and two children.

He's The Dad: Dad of Divas

 
I like reading Dad of Diva's blog for several reasons.  He's got an easy-to-read personal style, and he posts lots of pictures of his family, making me feel like I'm hanging out with them on their adventures.  He has guests post occasionally, and he does a great job balancing personal posts with product reviews. 

I particularly like his series "Dads in the Limelight."  I enjoy learning more about Dads who might not be part of the "Dad Blogger" circle, and the interview style is informative, and always leaves me inspired. 

I was happy to see my former co-worker, Jeff Bell, featured this week (as the 56th profile!).  I worked for Jeff at Xbox, where he was VP of Global Marketing.  I always enjoyed Jeff's optimistic attitude, his knowledge of marketing and business, and his personal style.  And I knew him as a great Dad, since he often talked about his kids. 

Check out Dad of Diva's blog, and while you're there, be sure to subscribe!

Here's a bit more about him, from his About Page:

I am a father of two girls who everyday works to regain control of my kingdom. Is this even possible in a divadom? This blog is dedicated to chronicling my experiences and challenges in being a father as well as providing some food for thought to other dads. History of this Blog - I started writing this blog full time in January 2008 prior to my second daughters' birth. Since then, the blog has exponentially grown and I have continued to find my groove through both reading and networking with other bloggers as well as writing on a myriad of varying topics. Outside of home I am a Student Affairs Professional who has been working in the field of College Administration now for 10 years with extensive experience in precollege planning, admission, advising, and other areas.

He's the Dad: Ben Spark

Drew, aka Ben Spark, is an avid blogger, a great photographer, and an amazing Dad.  ou get a glimpse of his family life looking at his photos (in fact, he just started a "Photo a Day podcast).

Here's a bit about him you might not have known, from his About page:

You’ve probably been wondering why my blog is called BenSpark. Is it my name? No, my name is Drew but these days I answer to Ben. Is it a nickname? No, that would be Drewbie but very few people are allowed to call me that. Is it a pseudonym? No, why would I do that and post each blog post as Drew?

BenSpark came from my last name, Bennett which was combined with my wife’s, (then girlfriend) last name, Sparks. We started the blog together as a way to keep people informed as to our activities and outings. Allison stopped posting but I increased my frequency. I liked the name and kept it, but took off the pretentious “The” that used to be there (I added it for some reason).

I really like Ben's style of presenting photos, and letting them tell a lot of the story.  Can't wait to meet him at M3 next month.